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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Mexican Platform and RivieraLAB

Outstanding as an event that encourages national film distribution, as well as national and international film production, the Riviera Maya Film Festival 2015 proudly informs that filmmakers and producers have delivered an exceptional response to the Mexican Platform and RivieraLAB calls, receiving 231 entries from more than 20 countries.

RMFF deeply thanks the filmmakers who have sent their projects. The selection of projects to be presented at the fourth Edition of the Festival, taking place on April 23 to 29, will be published on March the 6th.

For the Mexican Platform competition 45 national projects were submitted. 12 among those projects will be selected to take part of a contemporary Mexican film exhibit that represent the trends of the national film industry. These films will enter the competition to obtain the two Kukulkán Awards and one Youth Jury Award, altogether endowed with 700 thousand pesos.

RivieraLab, our project creation laboratory has received 182 projects from various countries, entering two sections, RivieraLab/Work in Progress and RivieraLab /Coproduction Forum. Among those, 17 will be chosen. Creators will join the Festival to exhibit their work and to compete for 3 awards endowed altogether with 600 thousand pesos.

Thanks to the plentiful participation obtained, the Riviera Maya Film Festival endorses its commitment to encourage national film distribution as well as national and international filmmaking.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Filmmakers, your moment has arrived! We are now accepting submissions through Withoutabox for narrative features, documentaries, shorts of all kinds, and student films for the 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival (October 8-12). Find deadlines and learn more about the process here.

HIFF is an intimate showcase for films that express fresh voices and differing perspectives, entertaining audiences and providing invaluable exposure for filmmakers. With cash and in-kind prizes valued at more than $165,000, HIFF continues to support the artists that create some of the year's best films.

The East Hampton Star​ rounds up all the HIFF 2014 winners at this year's Academy​ Awards, including Julianne Moore​ for Best Actress, J. K. Simmons​ for Best Supporting Actor, and Birdman​ for Best Picture, just to name a few. Congratulations to all the nominees and honorees!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society
of Lincoln Center has announced the
complete lineup for the 44th New Directors/New Films (ND/NF), March 18-29.

Since 1972, the festival has been an annual rite of early spring in New York
City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous
moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed
dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of
surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the
discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s
festival will screen 26 international features and 16 short films.

Chief Curator of Film at The Museum of Modern Art, Rajendra Roy, said: “If I
had to boil down the aspirations of New Directors/New Films to one word, it
would be ‘unexpected.’ Familiarity is great when you spend an evening at a
multiplex with a bucket of popcorn to watch your favorite superhero, but
allowing yourself the freedom to engage with the unfamiliar is what this
festival is all about.”

“The wonderful thing about a festival like New Directors/New Films is that, by
definition, it renews itself every year,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center’s
Director of Programming Dennis Lim. “We’re very excited about this lineup,
which showcases the many forms that cinematic innovation can take. I think it
also introduces New York audiences to some very distinctive voices, new and
emerging auteurs who will be at the forefront of the art form in the years to
come.”

The 2015 lineup stands out in many ways, but what is particularly exciting is a
unifying sense of unconventional storytelling through visual experimentation
and inventive dialogue (or a lack thereof). Whether told in sign language
without subtitles (The Tribe), through beautifully shot landscapes and
imagery shot on 16mm (Theeb,Mercuriales, Fort
Buchanan, Tired Moonlight, and Christmas, Again) or visually arresting imagery on 35mm (in
low-contrast black and white inTu dors Nicole), the integrity and importance of the story remains
paramount.

The New Directors/New Films selection committee is made up of members from both
presenting organizations: from The Museum of Modern Art, Jytte Jensen, Rajendra
Roy, and Joshua Siegel; and from the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Dennis
Lim, Marian Masone, and Gavin Smith.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Manish Mundra's Ddrishyam/Sundance
Institute Screenwriters Lab, 2015

Call for submissions
for the first edition

Manish
Mundra’s film production company, Drishyam, in partnership with Sundance
Institute,

is organising Dhrishyam – Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab
2015, to be held in Goa.

The Lab is
inviting applications as a part of its Open Submission Process. The deadline
for submission of scripts is March 5, 2015.

The Lab is
for filmmakers making their first or second narrative feature; we will consider
co-writers, writer/directors, or writer/director teams, and the scripts should
be independent in terms of story and spirit and also in terms of budget.

The
Drishyam Sundance Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for
writers to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished international
advisors in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.

In order to
apply, filmmakers must submit a complete draft of a screenplay as well as
supporting materials (cover letter, artistic statement, bio, synopsis, and
directing sample if applicable). Interest and inquires should be directed
to drishyamsundancelab@sundance.org

Srinivasan
Narayanan, the former Festival Director of
Mumbai Film Festival, MAMI who will be heading this initiative says, “With our
rich tradition of storytelling, the effort is to hone the skills, open new
perspectives in narration and usher in the international idiom in film making
to our own tales. The goal is to help Indian films and film makers to find their
rightful place in the global space.”

Manish
Mundra, chairman of Drishyam, says, “The
idea behind Drishyam’s collaboration with the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in
India, is to promote and nurture the new breed of young and talented writers
and directors and give them an opportunity to be mentored by the finest
International filmmakers. “

“The lab
will be very beneficial for Indian Cinema in the long run. It goes well with
our idea of promoting content driven cinema. Films likeMargarita with A Straw,UmrikaandMasaanhave come
out of Sundance Screenwriters Lab.”

About
Sundance Institute

Sundance
Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in
1981.Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters,
producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and
support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around
the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes
independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations
around the globe.

Internationally
recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has
nurtured such projects as Born into
Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Umrika, An Inconvenient
Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in
America.

About
Drishyam

Drishyam
is a company established by Manish Mundra, which is focused
on actively working towards contributing to the development of Indian
independent cinema. The company has already invested in films
that are being recognised internationally, and is in the process of
finalizing more projects for the upcoming year. The journey started with
the film Ankhon Dekhi directed
by Rajat Kapoor. The film was one of the best-reviewed films in India
in 2014 and was critically acclaimed for its simplicity, philosophy, ensemble cast
and acting. The two projects that followed Ankhon Dekhi won great
accolades as well - Umrika, directed
by Prasant Nair won the Audience Choice Award at Sundance
Film Festival 2015 and Dhanak directed
by Nagesh Kuknoor won the Grand Prix award and Crystal Bear
Special Mention at Berlinale 2015 – Generation Kplus.
Committed to its cause of developing and nurturing film talent in
India, the company has also partnered with the Sundance Institute to set up a
Screenwriters' Lab in India.

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